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Category Archives: MISCELLANEOUS

Jun 01 2017

I recently had the honor to attend the 3rd Annual Inside Anne’s Closet celebrity fashion show and fundraiser luncheon, which was held at the Menlo Circus Club in Atherton, CA. It was a wonderful event supporting a non profit that is helping to save lives, The Colon Cancer Alliance.

Packed house enjoying! (Drew Altizer Photography)

The mission of the Colon Cancer Alliance is to knock colon cancer out of the top three cancer killers. It was founded in 1999 by 41 colon cancer survivors, their family members, care givers and friends. The lifetime risk for contracting colon cancer is 1 in 23 for women and men. 90% of colon cancers are diagnosed after age 50. Prevention is key and colon cancer has one of highest cure rates if found early. The Colon Cancer Alliance has an informative and easy to navigate website. There is even a quiz you can take to assess your risk factors, and so much more valuable information. They also have financial assistance forms you can fill out online for help paying for screening and medical tests. There is also a helpline you can call to answer any questions. There are so many incredible resources available thru this truly amazing nonprofit organization.

This years Honorary Chair was world famous American Fashion Designer and colon cancer survivor Carmen Marc Valvo. He was inspired to make colon cancer prevention fashionable, and spread awareness and the message of early detection by his good friend, Katie Couric. Carmen Marc Valvo donated an amazing New York Fashion Week package with private cocktail parties with A-list celebs, and including a personal fitting and one of his elegant couture designer dresses! This auction was exciting and really got the crowd going, with Mr. Valvo spontaneously deciding to generously donate not 1 but 4 lucky auction winners this amazing package! That was a crowd pleaser!

Carmen Marc Valvo- I had the pleasure to get to know him over lunch. What a great person!

Emcee, Jessica Aguirre in her Carmen Marc Volvo

With Michael Sapienza of the Colon Cancer Alliance

The elegant event was in honor of Event Chair John Paye’s (Stanford Hall of Fame Quarterback and former San Francisco 49er) mother Anne, who passed away in June 2013 at age 68 from the disease. Anne, was a lover of fashion and inspired friends and family to be proactive and spread the word about screening and prevention and reaching out to underserved communities. Bay Area NBC anchor Jessica Aguirre was a spectacular emcee of the event, and looked gorgeous in a stunning Carmen Marc Valvo cocktail dress.

The runway show included fashions donated by local and national retailers, such as Jenni Kayne, Louisa Spagnoli, Gitane, Brooks Brothers, and culminating with a couture evening gown presentation by Carmen Marc Valvo. Many local celebrities, current and/or former athletes from Bay Area sports teams, and on-air sports talent modeling summer trends, participated in the fashion show! Here is a listing of who was strutting it on the runway!

2017 Runway Models
Stanford University:

Harrison Phillips, Defensive End, Stanford University Football

Alameen Murphy, Cornerback, Stanford University Football

Alijah Holder, Cornerback, Stanford University Football

Bryce Love, Running Back, Stanford University Football

Brittany McPhee, Guard, Women’s Stanford University Basketball

Kaylee Johnson, Forward, Women’s Stanford University Basketball

Dijonai Carrington, Guard, Women’s Stanford University Basketball

Kelsey Humphreys, Stanford University Volleyball Player

University of Southern California:

Jackson Barrett, University of Southern California Volleyball Player

Pro Athletes/Bay Area Notables:

Tank Williams, Yahoo Sports College & Fantasy Football Analyst, Former Stanford University and NFL Football Player with the Tennessee Titans, Minnesota Vikings, and New England Patriots

Drew Bennett, First Take NFL analyst, Former UCLA and Tennessee Titans Football Player

Khari Stephenson, Former MLS Soccer player

Toi Cook, Former Stanford University Football Player and San Francisco 49er

Steve Bono, Former UCLA Football Player and San Francisco 49er

Eric Byrnes, Analyst at MLB Network, Former UCLA and Oakland Athletics Baseball Player

Raj Mathai, News Anchor for NBC Bay Area KNTV

Jon Root, Olympic Gold Medalist in Men’s Volleyball, Former Stanford University Volleyball Player

Rosalyn Gold-Onwude, Basketball Analyst for ESPN, Sideline reporter Comcast, for regionalbroadcasts of Golden State Warriors and San Francisco 49ers games, Former Stanford University Basketball Player

Sep 08 2016

According to Dr. Sanam Hafeez Psy. D, Colombia University Professor and Founder of Comprehensive Consultation Psychological Services in New York City; stress is written all over our face and can result in looking years older when stressed for prolonged periods of time.

Dr. Hafeez whose expertise is in understanding neural pathways as they respond to anxiety, stress and trauma explains that how we think directly impacts how we age and how youthful we appear. The routine stressors in our lives really impact how fast or slow we age. When stressed, we see it in our skin tone, texture, elasticity, and over all glow.

“When someone is under stress they can appear up to 5 years older, 10 years if they don’t manage stress or make changes to their lives. Stressful relationships and careers age people. I have seen patients end relationships or get new jobs and look 10 years younger within days. People are spending money on creams, facials and cosmetic procedures but if the stress is still there it will still show in their face,” offers Dr. Hafeez.

Here are Ways Stress is Written All Over Your Face

1. You have dark circles. Stress results in blood flow to main organs plus capillaries under eyes are fragile and break under stress leaving your face looking sallow and tired. Dark circles seem more apparent.

2. Mini-Menopause.
The jury is still out on exactly how or if this is possible, but it appears that the constant flow of cortisol that goes along with chronic stress causes a dip in estrogen, one that mimics, on a smaller scale, the dip that occurs during menopause. Less estrogen means less collagen and less moisture. So, while estrogen levels may not drop enough to shut down your period, stress may make them dip enough to make your skin look dull and dry.

3. You notice more wrinkles.
Life’s stress due to divorce, death of loved one, job-loss, financial concerns; impacts our brain chemistry. When we feel sad or anxious, are crying or not sleeping well it’s common to see deeper lines around the middle of the eyes, forehead, under eye area and mouth.

4. You itch, flake and even have hives.
Stress leads to inflammation which may lead to rashes, rosacea, eczema flare ups and changes in skin moisture.

5. Under-Eye Bags
Tomorrow’s to-do list can weigh on your mind, keeping you from getting enough beauty sleep. This can cause fluid to pool below your lower eyelid area, and what you end up with is a puffy mess in the a.m. Stomach sleepers, bad news: You can expect the puffiness of your under-eye bags to be even worse because of gravity.

6. Increased jaw size Heavy jaw
Grinding teeth and clenching of the jaw are common symptoms of stress. Unfortunately, these habits can cause the jaw muscles to work overtime. This can result not only in damaged teeth, but also a heavier than usual jawline, as the muscles become larger with the grinding action.

7. Hair Loss.
Stress can cause sudden hair loss by literally flipping the switch on the hair follicle’s growth stage from an active to a resting phase. Once the follicle enters this resting phase prematurely, it stays there for about three months, after which time a large amount of hair will be shed. When you experience an overall shedding of hair, you must cast back a few months to find the trigger. Rest assured that in most women, this hair will grow back.

8. Adult Acne
Acne isn’t just for hormonally crazed teenagers. Many adults can’t seem to outgrow it because of stress hormones. What makes it worse is that tense people often can’t leave pimples alone. Squeezing, poking and picking at them becomes an almost obsessive way to release tension, but it also makes breakouts worse, exacerbating the inflammatory response, and you’re left feeling a bit more stressed. So no picking

9. Hormonal Mood Swings
There is a lot of interaction between hormone physiology and mood that works both ways. Our mood can impact our physiology, and our physiology can influence the balance of our hormones. If stress can sit at the top of a cascade of events that lead to undesirable hormonal changes in the body (like those that trigger insomnia, insatiable hunger and weight gain, and collagen breakdown), then what we want to do is find ways to gain the upper hand on our stress level and ensure that we keep all those hormones in check.

According to Dr. Hafeez, “The good news is that we can get to the root cause of our stress and manage it. When you notice changes in your facial appearance take inventory of what is going on in your life and what may be stressing you out. Simple things like sitting quietly for 10 minutes focusing on breathing, writing in a journal, exercising or taking a walk outside, reading, baking, painting, listening to music and reaching for an activity that takes focus off the stress is helpful. If you find yourself reverting back to the stressful issue consider therapy. Clearly there is a connection between how we look and how we feel and think.”

I agree with Dr. Hafeez 100%. Our skin is the largest organ of our body, and a great indicator of what’s happening internally. No one likes to hear, “Oh my gosh, you look so tired!” It doesn’t feel good to hear that you look as bad, or worse maybe, than you feel. It’s undeniable, we do end up wearing our stress and fatigue on our faces. Long term stress can have negative effects on not only our looks, but also devastating effects on health and well-being. One of the most relaxing things to do is go get a facial, massage or spa treatment. Self-care isn’t selfish- or just “pampering”, it’s part of taking care of yourself, so you can take care of everyone else and everything else in your life. Not only will some facial and spa treatments make you look better, immediately, more importantly you will forget your stress for a while. This gives your body a break from the internal chemical effects of the stress response. This is like a mini vacation and you return to your senses with an internal and external clarity and glow.

Apr 28 2016

So, If you attended the Skin Games last weekend, you might be still recovering from all the fun you had. Yes, this event was THAT good. It was really empowering, validating and just magical to gather so many passionate estheticians in one place. The general public also had a great time, getting to try new spa treatments, learn about the latest skincare products and modalities, and maybe even being on TV! The Ex Wives of Rock camera crews were all over the event filming us. Don’t be sad it’s over, just be glad it happened and savor the memories of an adventure in beauty, filled weekend, all within the walls of the Marriott hotel, in San Ramon, CA.

The main event of The Skin Games, was a friendly competition, allowing Estheticians to showcase their knowledge and skills. The Estheticians completed a video diary, and submitted the results they achieved with their chosen clients in areas of hyper-pigmentation, aging skin, acne, etc. They were also interviewed by a panel of some not so scary, industry experts, and then the answers were evaluated and tabulated. What I noticed, more than anything, was the coming together of like-minds, the sharing of ideas and a passion for what we do, and what amazing results we get. How we achieve our goals may differ. We even had a spirited debate at the Ingredient Panel discussion, on how to get the best results – yes or no on AHA’s, for instance – the common denominator is we all have a shared passion and a bigger mission that bridges the gaps. We have the capability, with our work to change lives and how people see themselves one face at a time – and we understand and “get” how passionate we all are. It’s amazing to spend time together, whether we are celebrating each others success or exploring how to improve. Luckily for us, we got to do it ALL and much more this past weekend at the first ever Skin Games event.

The glamorous cast of the Ex Wives of Rock

Jennifer Rosenblum and Jennifer Earls, aka “The Jens” had the creative vision, fortitude and pure determination, to put together this hybrid competitive event for Estheticians to shine: a trade show, an educational panel, entertainment extravaganza, networking, and the Academy Awards of Esthetics. From the conversations I’ve had, I think I can speak for everyone who attended, and just state, it surpassed any and all expectations of the attendees, the vendors, the competitors and the judges. I have no doubt the beauty industry will be transformed by this event, and next year it will be really huge- um did I hear someone say International?!?

Angie Vayda- winner of Best New Esthetician

Cherie Callahan- Winner of Hyperpigmentation

May we all stay inspired and connected and KNOW that we all have something amazing to offer this wonderful industry. We all have our strengths, unique skills, and the ability to keep learning and developing new skills. I think the Skin Games reminded us, we have the unlimited capacity to help and inspire each other, when we join together. There will definitely be a ripple effect of an event of this magnitude – a very positive one with all of the energy that was generated this past weekend. I’m excited to see how we all grow from this experience. I can’t wait to gather with all of you Game Changers again next year!

Denise Gaston – Esthetics Instructor & Winner of GameChanger Award

Maxine Drake- Winner of GameChanger Award

Denise Fuller of NASN & winner of GameChanger Award

Danne Montague-King – Founder of DMK & Winner of GameChanger of The Year Award

All the way from Belgium! 2 Bio Beauty and Bio Peeling

Thank you to “The Jens”, and everyone who supported them in their mission (shout out to the Yes, Dears!), the amazing vendors who supported the event and always support the estheticians, my fellow judges- who I personally felt very honored and humbled to be among, the brave contestants, who embraced this challenge, and put themselves out there, not really knowing what they were getting themselves into – and without whom there would have been no Skin Games. Everyone who supported the contestants and came to the show was a very important part of this inaugural event. I look forward to seeing all of you Esthetic Rock Stars at the 2017 Skin Games or hopefully sooner!

If I left anything out, I apologize and please feel free to send me your photos so I can add to this write-up!

What was your favorite part of The Skin Games? What do you look forward to next year? Is there anything you would add or you felt was missing? Please comment! #GAMEON

Apr 01 2016

There is a really fun event coming up, thats near and dear to my heart! The first national competition for Estheticians, is going to be in San Ramon, CA on April 23, 2016. The Estheticians are competing in different categories, such as hyper pigmentation, anti-aging, acne, etc. There will be a trade show with top skincare and beauty lines, ingredient panel of industry experts, luxe spa treatments, super fab party, and much more….I myself am looking forward to it all, including networking and possibly tasting some fine Napa wines in the VIP lounge.

This is the first ever competition, to find the top Estheticians in the country. There were over 1,000 entries, and the top 30 are being interviewed by the judges (I’m so excited and honored to be one of the judges by the way). Estheticians, I can’t wait to judge you! The ladies of the new reality show, The Ex-Wives of Rock, Bobbie Brown, Athena and more will be there hosting the event – along with their television crews so if you attend, maybe you will be the next big reality tv star! Who knows, maybe Athena’s brother, Tommy Lee will show up with the “Crue”! Jennifer Rosenbaum and Jennifer Earl are the rockstar estheticians behind putting together this fabulous event.

Who is ready to get dressed up like a superstar with me, and go rock out in San Ramon? For more information, to check out the array of finalists, event activities and tickets to the Live Show, check out www.theskingames.com

Dec 10 2015

I recently learned of a wonderful organization www.worldvisiongifts.org They are a global agency that focuses on helping children around the world. You can purchase many items including 28 different kinds of farm animals that will be directly given to the families that need them to help them end hunger and/or create income for families in dire need. You can send your gift in honor of someone and they will send them a personal and festive card from you thanking them for their gift.

World Vision has also created a World Vision Child Safety Net Project which helps girls around the world who are vulnerable to being sexually exploited. Your gift can provide shelter, medical care, food, counseling and when possible reintegration with a loving family.

They have a beautiful gift catalog with handcrafted items from all over the world. If you order these by Dec 15th they are guaranteed to arrive in time for Christmas. My beautiful fair trade, turquoise necklace and earrings were made in India and the proceeds from it go straight to families in Dehli.

85% of every gift goes to programs helping children and families overcome poverty in nearly 100 countries – including the USA. Here in the U.S., 1 in 4 children lives in poverty.

World Vision has so many different programs and ways to embrace the true spirit of the Holiday Season.

Win these ICU Sunglasses and one other Tortoise shell frame pair! ICU has gifted me with 2 pairs to giveaway to my followers! Cute sunglasses with UVA/UVB protection are a must-have fashion accessory for the skin and sun savvy girl on the go! Sunglasses protect our eyes from damaging rays that can cause eye health issues and […] Read More

My name is Pearl. And I really know my stuff. You know how some women have that gorgeous, blissed-out glow that almost vibrates off the skin? I can help you glow like that. Or how some women appear to exude radiant health from every cell and pore? I can help you radiate like that. I’ve… Read More